My lesson 2 - "The very hungry caterpillar"

 In two classes I read the book "The very hungry caterpillar" and conducted activities for it.

Class: I  

Day: Thursday

Main aims: To introduce food vocabulary.

Objectives: 

- The child names the food that occurred in the book.

- The child responds to the teacher's instructions.

- The child responds to the teacher's questions in English.

While reading the book, I asked the children questions about what the given words mean in Polish. Most of the children were familiar with the book, so they completed sentences while reading. I tried as much as possible to show with my body what is happening in the book and to show the illustration. I also changed my voice to keep the children interested. After reading the book, I laid out pictures on the carpet showing the food that occurred in the book. The children's task was to point out and say the name of the product, as well as the number. The children were very eager to participate. I then asked the children to open their notebooks and write down the sentence "I like...". The children had to draw and write down the names of the foods they like. During these activities, I managed to maintain discipline in the classroom. In addition, I spoke only in English during class.

My lesson 1

I am satisfied with the lesson activities conducted. The children were engaged in the activities. They enjoyed the song "Baby Shark" the most, as they wanted to repeat the task again. In addition, during the game, everyone wanted to do the activity at once. I found it difficult to maintain discipline in the classroom. I would definitely point out specific students to perform the task during the game next time and use simpler instructions and more body language.

 

Observation of lessons - Poland Tour

The teacher began the class by displaying a presentation with tasks. 

Task 1 

Matching pictures of means of transportation with names.

Task 2 

Which picture is this? - Matching words with pictures. Children had to indicate - left / right

Task 3 

Word scatter - children had to point out what word was hidden in the word scatter: TICKET.

Task 4 

Reading a dialogue about buying a ticket. First the teacher read, then everyone, then girls, boys and finally selected people.

Then the teacher divided the class into 3 groups: "Kraków", "Torun", "Poznan". The children had to line up in the appropriate place in the classroom, where there was a card with the name of their city.

The teacher then showed a map with the point marked. The children had to guess what the city was.

The first was Krakow. The teacher takes on the role of a bus driver. Children whose city is on the map buy a ticket by pronouncing the phrase they have learned.

Next, road signs appear on the presentation. Children say " turn left", "go straight".

They reach the next city - Poznan and Torun. The children purchase tickets, and the police appear at the presentation. The children have to perform a task. Riddles with animals. The teacher plays sounds imitating animals. Students give the names.

Students commute to Gdansk. The teacher asks the students a question. What can you do in Gdansk? The children answer: "To see the sea." The teacher plays a video showing the sea with the sound of waves.

Notes:

- I really enjoyed this lesson. The children were very engaged. You could see that they enjoyed it. They spoke a lot of English. 

- Great idea to learn travel phrases.

- I would add photos showing the characteristic sights of the cities where the students are. 

- Instead of animal sounds, I would have used sounds of means of transportation. 

Lesson observation - vocabulary introduction

The teacher shows the flashcards "family" - the children repeat and say that it means "rodzina" in Polish. Then the teacher shows the other cards with family members. The children themselves point out their names in English: mum, dad, brother, sister, baby, grandma, grandpa. Then the teacher points to the cards with her finger, and the children repeat their names. Later, the teacher asks the children to close their eyes and takes two cards from the board. The children say which ones have disappeared. The situation is repeated, but now the teacher takes away six cards, and one card remains on the board. This causes a lot of surprise in the children, making them eager to name the family members that are not on the board.

Games used by the teacher in different classes:

- "Deaf phone"-the teacher divides the students into two groups. Then she chooses one person from each group and says the slogans "It's my mum"/ "It's my dad". The children's task is to pass the slogan in whispers one by one. The last person stands up and touches the card that represents the family member hidden in the slogan.

- "Guess who it is." - A child chooses one card with a family member. The other students have to guess what the person chose. They ask the following question, "It is...(family member)?"

- The teacher writes words for family members on the board. The children's task is to match the picture with the corresponding word.

- The teacher writes the words for family members on the board and matches the wrong pictures to the names. The children's task is to correct the mistakes. 

- The teacher writes a number above each picture. Then she covers up the pictures. The teacher asks who is where. Then she swaps the obscured photos in place. The children's task is to guess who is under which number.

In addition to the above activities, the teacher worked with the textbook, which she displays on the board. The children sang songs about the family and marked the corresponding pictures indicating which family members appeared in the song. In addition, they connected names with pictures and read a comic strip. First the lady read, then the whole class. Then the girls, boys and designated groups. The children's task was also to read the comic strip with their heads above them. Photo below:

Notes:

- The teacher uses a variety of ways to introduce and repeat new words,

- The teacher "extracts" from the students the words they know,

- the teacher clearly presents instructions for games,

- the teacher uses a lot of body language.

I intend to use all the activities presented in my work with students.

Observation of lessons

Best activities:

- The teacher displays a presentation on the board with instructions: 

1. Open the pencil case
2. Take a pencil
3. Open the notebook
4. Write the answer

The following slides display riddles. Children have to write the names of the objects displayed on the board. They can use the books to check the correct spelling.

- Repeating the names of the months by playing music. Any child who hears the month of his birthday must stand up.

- Creating a calendar - children have to draw a calendar with the names of the months, then they have to write the dates of their friends' birthdays.

- games on the interactive whiteboard on repeating the vocabulary learned so far. Matching words to pictures, a board game with a frog that jumps and gives tasks, filling in gaps in sentences.

Notes:

- The teacher, in case of children's questions, does not give ready-made answers, but encourages them to look for answers on their own in the book.

- The teacher gives clear instructions.

- The teacher gestures a lot - thanks to body language children better understand instructions.

Observation of lessons - 27 Feb

Best activities:

- The teacher played the children a video showing the alphabet. The letters are shown in a funny way. Children remember better.

- Game - the teacher marked with dashes on the board how many letters there were in the word then asked them to give the letters. If there were she wrote them down in the right place. The children's task was to guess what word it was.

- Completing the text with the given words on the board using ICT (wordwall application).

Notes:

- The teacher gives clear intructions to the children,

- The teacher uses digital technology in class, which is attractive to children.

English lessons in elementary school

I started observing English classes on the first of February.

Lesson 1

The teacher began class by checking the attendance list. The teacher then played a song from the You Tube app. The children did not sing, but moved to the rhythm of the music. They also showed its words with their bodies. They performed the activities faster and faster. Then the students returned to their seats. The teacher asked what words about Australia they remembered from the previous activities. Then she played the sound of the instrument - the didgeridoo. The children had to show thumbs up if they liked the sound and thumbs down if they didn't like the instrument. Later, the teacher played the song along with the video. The children named which animals appeared in the song - koala, crocodile, beak. They then proceeded to do the tasks in the book. Listening - who has which animal. Then the children got to make a cartoon depicting the handing of a box with an animal:

- What is this?

- It's small.

- I have got a cat.

Link to "Hello Song": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qCxsUUU3MI

Notes: 

- I liked the idea of writing a comic book. It is an attractive form for children, and at the same time they practice phrases.

Lesson 2

CLIL

The teacher is taking the kids on a field trip! She displays the outlines of the continents on the board - three to choose from. I indicate where they will go. Then the teacher shows the flag. The children name different countries, and the teacher says they are going to Australia. The teacher asks the children about associations with Australia: vacation, coral reef, sun, sand, heat, crocodiles, kangaroos. The teacher shows drawings associated with Australia on the board and names them. Then the children listen to a song along with a video about Australia. Later they list what they remember from the song. Then she displays the drawings and names them. Children repeat the names - didgeridoo, boomerang, kangaroo, The Great Reef Coral. Later, the teacher distributes cards with the flag of this continent. The children's task is to color the flag. Then the teacher plays the sound of the instrument. Children show their thumbs up or down. Then the teacher displays a virtual tour of Sydney. The children repeat the previously learned vocabulary words. At the end, the children imitate the animals in the song. The song is played faster and faster.

Link to song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhyKsEn6_So

Notes:

- It was the first time I observed such a lesson. In addition to learning English, the children were also learning geography. 

- I would do away with coloring the flag. I would replace this activity with some kind of game about Australia and the vocabulary they learned.

- The teacher spoke a lot of Polish.

Lesson 3

The teacher began the lesson by checking the homework - comics written by the children. Later, the group worked with the book. The children repeated the names of animals, said what was in the pictures - "I see a cat". Later they repeated the sentences heard in the audible. Then they did exercises. At the end, the teacher played a song, and the children danced on the carpet.

Notes:

- Almost the entire class read the comics. In my opinion, it would have been better if a maximum of 5 people had read, with more groups in the next class. It took a very long time to check the comics, so a lot of kids got bored and started doing other things.

Lesson 4

The teacher began the lesson by reading riddles prepared by the children. These were riddles about animals - cat, dog, elephant, giraffe, hamster, mouse. The children's task was to write down the answers in a notebook. The teacher wanted to finish reading the riddles after 15 minutes, but the children were very eager to guess all that they had prepared.

Notes:

- The teacher followed what the children liked. The children were able to practice animal vocabulary.

My lesson

I conducted a lesson with a group of five-year-old children. The topic of the class was the repetition of food vocabulary. Below I insert photos with the lesson plan.

The classes I conducted were consistent and included a variety of activities. The children were engaged and participated in the activities with curiosity. After the activities, they asked what was next. They enjoyed the "memo game" and "fruit salad" the most, as they included competition and movement. In my opinion, I need to work on discipline in the classroom, because during the memo game the children could not wait for their turn and zoomed in on the cards, making it impossible for other children to see what was going on. In addition, I would change the song or introduce the vocabulary in it earlier. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with the lesson, as I could see that the children enjoyed it.

Observation of lesson (chlidren aged: 5)

The lesson began with the Hello song - "Hello everyone." The children clapped to the rhythm of the song while singing. Then the teacher checked the attendance list. One selected child counted how many students there were. He then asked the selected children "How are you today?" or "What is the weather like today?". The children quickly gave their answers to the questions. The teacher then showed flashcards depicting body parts. The children repeated their name and showed them on themselves. The teacher then spread the flashcards on the carpet and selected children had to touch the correct picture whose name the teacher pointed out. For a good answer, the children received tokens. Later they sang a song together and showed the words of the song with their body movements. Then the teacher showed the new flashcards, the children learned their names by repeating and showing them on themselves. Then the children had to line up and one by one said what was in the picture the teacher was pointing to. The class ended with singing a song. 

This lesson was very interesting. The teacher and children showed the body parts on themselves, which made them remember better. In addition, the activities were varied - requiring concentration as well as movement. The teacher used simple commands: "line up", "stand up", etc. The children were interested in the activities. In case of discipline problems, the teacher used: "One two three be quiet please". 

Observation of two lessons (chlidren aged: 5)

The activities in both groups looked the same. They started with the Hello song - "Hello everyone." The children clapped to the rhythm of the song while singing. Then the teacher checked the attendance list. One selected child counted how many students there were. He then asked the selected children "How are you today?" or "What is the weather like today?". The children quickly gave their answers to the questions. The teacher then spread out a great many flashcards from different departments on the carpet. The pictures included food, weather, colors, numbers, etc. The children's task was to name the selected pictures. If they answered correctly they took away the card. After several rounds, all the flashcards were collected. The teacher stated from which range the children were to give back one by one the cards they had collected. In my opinion, it was a good activity for repeating vocabulary from different ranges. The children were not bored and were engaged in the activity. They remembered the vocabulary words very well. The teacher used simple commands and praised the children. 

Observation of lesson (children aged: 4)

The class began with a song. The teacher then checked the attendance list and chose one student to count in English how many children there were. Then the teacher asked the students what foods they remembered. The children mentioned the names - apple, salad, chocolate cake, fish, etc. The teacher spread flashcards showing the foods on the carpet. He suggested an activity related to shopping at the store. The children were asked to act out a scene from the store. The teacher was the seller and the students were the customers. The conversation in the store was to go as follows:

Student: "Hello"

Teacher: "What would you like?

Student: "Can I have to (...)?"

Teacher: "Yes, it costs two zlotys."

Student: passes two blocks (blocks=money)

Teacher: "Thank you."

Student: "Thank you."

In the middle of the activity, the teacher suggested that whoever wants to come to the store must sing a song. The students sang a song they know.

This activity was very interesting. The students had the opportunity to repeat the vocabulary of food, and also to improve their counting - the children had to count blocks (money) to pay for their purchases. However, in my opinion, it was too difficult for four-year-old children. They did not say the whole phrases the teacher expected "Can I have to...", but only single words: chocolate cake, orange juice, etc. The teacher had to correct the children each time. In addition, there were a lot of products in the store making children who were already there or waiting for their turn impatient, talking to each other or busy with something else.

Observation of two lessons (children aged 6)

I observed two groups of six-year-olds.

The best activities in the first group:

• "Carpet Card" - The teacher spreads pictures on the carpet depicting different furniture such as a desk, a chair. He also brings colored balls and markers. He then gives instructions to selected children: "Touch the desk with your finger," "Color the desk orange," "Pink ball on the table, "Red ball under the chair," etc.
• Children say what they are wearing starting with the phrase "I have got...".

Notes:

• I really liked the carpet card and how the children repeat such vocabulary words as: on, under, next to, and colors and names of furniture. I think an even better solution would be to give each child a card and give them instructions, as children who have to wait for their turn quickly get bored and distracted.

The best activities in the second group:

• Introducing new vocabulary: "Milk soup," "Spinach," "Snails." The teacher names the dish and asks the children to repeat. The children say the name several times and do it faster and faster while the teacher reveals the flashcards. Later, they repeat all the dish names once more, as the teacher shows.
• The phrases "I like...", "I don't like...". - The teacher reminds the students and shows a thumb up if he says he likes something, and a thumb down if he doesn't. Then he lays out cards with different dishes and asks selected students to indicate what they like and dislike by adding the corresponding drawing to the cards.
• A game depicting situations in a restaurant - children order the dishes shown on the cards.

Notes:

• The children were very focused on the lesson and it was clear that they enjoyed the proposed activities. 
• The teacher shows a lot with his body, which is very good because children remember faster.
• The game in which the child is a customer in a restaurant is very interesting and shows the children that English will be useful in their daily lives.
• There is a lack of movement play, exercises to do in pairs or groups.

Observation of three lessons (children aged 5)

I observed three different groups that included children as young as 5 years old.

BEST ACTIVITIES:

• Movement game - the teacher sets up three chairs and chooses four children. He plays music. When he turns off the music the children have to sit on the chairs. The child who did not sit on the chair performs a task invented by the teacher, e.g. he/she has to point out on which flahcards is the number eight.

• Movement game - "Fly and spider" - The teacher plays the tambourine and then the children have to move. At the word "Spider" they must stand still and not move. Whoever responds last must answer the teacher's question - what is on the flashcards.

• Repetition of vocabulary involving showing flashcards with a hole card superimposed. The teacher moves the flashcards under the card and only, part of it can be seen. Children have to guess what is on it.

• Store game - The teacher is the seller and the children are the customers. The children say what the seller has to give them and pay with the blocks, for example, they had to pay for their shopping with two yellow blocks. The children used the phrase "Can I have a...".

Notes:

• The children enjoyed the movement games the most.
• There were no tasks in pairs or smaller groups.
• While playing store, children who only watched - were bored. On the other hand, children who were customers had trouble using more difficult phrases. 
• The teacher used a lot of L1.
• The teacher uses simple commands "Make a circle", Line up", "Sit down", "Close your eyes", and the children follow them, which helps to better organize the activity.